A young mother told me her husband comes from the West Indies where smoking pot is the norm. Unfortunately for her, he brought this habit w to the United States.

His smoking is affecting their marriage. She not only wants him to quit, she made an appointment for him.

The couple arrived with their three- month-old child, and she remained in the waiting room.

My first question to him was: “Do you really want to quit smoking pot?”

He has been smoking pot since he was 14. He says it is a habit he definitely wants to break. He does not smoke cigarettes.

I agreed smoking was a habit. He was not born smoking pot. His subconscious has been so well trained that it is giving him what he has trained it to do. This is every addict.

I explained to the gentleman how he has trained his subconscious. I showed him techniques to break the habit. He was open to the ideas. He was enthusiastic about the program.

I have helped many to quit smoking cigarettes, pot, crack, heroin and alcohol.

I offer a plan that requires three sessions in three weeks followed by three more over six weeks. I told the client to attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings at least twice a week. He was amenable to everything.

I wanted him to come back three weeks in a row because he was not that deep a hypnotic candidate initially.

I have discovered over 25 years as a hypnotherapist that the more sessions you have, the more used to the process you become, the more quickly you enter the hypnotic state, the deeper the hypnosis penetrates the subconscious.

After the first session he could expect a three to four days of relief. Following a further session, the hypnosis will last five to six days. After the third session, 12 to 14 days.

By the fourth, the candidate is so familiar with the process that the hypnosis goes deeper and lasts longer until the subconscious is so used to the new behavior that the issue is resolved.

However, for this man, his recovery is not going to go well because his wife has decided to take charge of his therapy. He set his second appointment for the following week but the next day I received an email from his wife. She determined that a second session within one week was too soon.  She will call  when she decides he should have his next appointment.

Since the client’s wife is controlling him and his actions, he will not be successful in quitting and their marriage is going to continue with the same difficulties as before.

I understand a client who cannot come often because he cannot afford it. I do not understand a client’s wife who believes she knows better than the health professional.  It would have been helpful if his wife had attended AlAnon meetings. She would have learned her role. She refused to go to a meeting.

Should the gentleman return, I will do the best I can to help him.

Do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net